About Us

 

LARO was founded in the summer of 2004 by Lia Starer Levin and Thomas Axworthy, two musician/teachers who were inspired by the growing recorder orchestra movement that originated in England.

The main motivation for Lia was to actually play in an orchestra with a repertoire of varied periods and genres. The recorder does not fit into orchestras with modern instruments, being an Early Music instrument with a specialized historical style, so we had to create our own. Using all sizes of recorders from sopranino to subcontrabass and playing multi-part orchestral arrangements makes for varied, colorful programs.

Tom's motivation was to offer professional and qualified amateur recorderists a forum for high-level playing and performing, as well as presenting the recorder in a new light, thereby enriching the Southern California music scene.

Membership in LARO was initially by personal invitation, but since then the door has been opened to auditions (see Contacts for more info). The thirty members of the orchestra pay quarterly dues and rehearse three evenings a month. LARO presents concerts several times a year in venues around greater Los Angeles, and has recorded a CD for each of its programs.

Members - February 2011


Lia Starer Levin*  – Founder

Thomas Axworthy* – Director and co-founder

 

Barbara Beebe            

Ricardo Berón            

Shelley Billik              

Brenda Bittner*                     

Barbara Blinderman*

Kate Budlong*                      

Nancy Cochran+                    

Jerry Cotts                              

Nancy Davis              

Larry Dorn                             

Suellen Eslinger                     

Jim Forrest                             

Reynold Furrell +                   

Charlie Jackson*                    

Anita Klebanoff                     

Libby Klugman                      

Connie Koenenn

Nadia Lawrence*

Lia Starer Levin*

Miranda Manners

Marianne Martin

George Noller

Debby Patterson*

Sally Rentschler

Matt Ross*

Abe Santiago

Adrienne Sher

Bruce Teter

John Tyson

Mark Walter

David Whitley

                       

* Board of LARO

+ Leave of Absence

 

LARO Bios:

Thomas Axworthy

Nadia Lawrence

Lia Starer Levin